2000
#10,504
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,805
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.04
Rare Last name
Streit
A German occupational surname referring to a combatant or fighter, derived from the Middle High German "strît."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,160 Americans carry the last name Streit. That puts it at #11,023 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 108,467 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Streit surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 108,467
Census rank
#11,023
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,756 bearers of the surname Streit in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11023rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Streit, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Streit
The surname STREIT has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the 12th century. Derived from the Middle High German word "strīt," meaning "quarrel" or "dispute," it was originally an occupational name for a soldier or someone involved in warfare.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name STREIT can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the Rhineland region, where a person named Henricus Streit was mentioned in a document dated 1292.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the STREIT name began appearing in various records and chronicles across central and southern Germany, particularly in areas like Bavaria, Swabia, and the Rhineland-Palatinate region.
In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the STREIT surname was Johannes Streit, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from around 1430 to 1506. He was a prominent figure in the scholastic tradition and authored several works on logic and metaphysics.
Another significant historical figure with the STREIT surname was Georg Streit, a German painter and engraver who lived from 1675 to 1749. He is known for his religious and allegorical works, as well as his engravings depicting scenes from the Bible and classical mythology.
In the 18th century, Johann Streit, a German composer and organist, made significant contributions to the field of sacred music. Born in 1719, he composed numerous works for the church, including masses, motets, and organ pieces.
During the 19th century, the STREIT name gained prominence in the field of education with the work of Robert Streit, a German educator and author who lived from 1834 to 1897. He wrote several influential works on teaching methods and educational reform.
Another notable figure from this period was Karl Streit, a German explorer and geographer who lived from 1859 to 1924. He embarked on numerous expeditions to various parts of the world, including Africa and Asia, and authored several books about his travels and discoveries.
While the STREIT name has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, with many individuals bearing this surname making significant contributions in various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Streit
Among Census respondents with the surname Streit, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Streit bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Streit surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 2,559
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 83
- Two or more races2.4% · 65
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 24
- Black or African American0.8% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Streit
Streit appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#10,473
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,067
+262 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Up 31 places
2020
#11,023
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,756
-311 bearers (-10.1%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Down 550 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,504 | 2,805 | 1.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,473 | 3,067 | 1.04 | +262 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 31 places |
| 2020 | #11,023 | 2,756 | 0.92 | -311 bearers (-10.1%) | Down 550 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Streit surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,473 | #11,023 | -5.3% |
| Count | 3,067 | 2,756 | -10.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.04 | 0.92 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Streit bearers went from 3,067 to 2,756 (-10.1% change). The surname moved down 550 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,473 to #11,023.
FAQ
Streit surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Streit?
Name Census estimates that about 3,160 living Americans carry the surname Streit. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 108,467 residents.
How common is Streit?
Streit ranks #11,023 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,756 people with the surname Streit. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,160), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.92 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Streit.
Has Streit become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Streit went from 3,067 recorded bearers to 2,756. That is a decrease of 311 (-10.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,473 to #11,023.
What does the Census say about the background of Streit?
Among Census respondents with the surname Streit, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Streit in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (2,559 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Streit appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Streit (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Streit mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a combatant or fighter, derived from the Middle High German "strît." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Streit (0.92 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Streit?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Streit is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.